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GA66
66th General Assembly of Occupy Melbourne Saturday 23rd June 2012, City Square Moderating: Jeff Pyrotek Minutes: Teigan Evans Introduction Working Group Reportbacks - KITCHEN (Sam): If anyone's hungry and wants the kitchen to make them some food, just ask. - OVERNIGHTING (Teigan): I and various other people have been overnighting at the Square every Tuesday for the last six weeks, and that's been going really well. You always say that, but I really mean it; I'm really pleased with how it's been working out. When I decided I was going to do this, I had visions of it just being me alone with my tent a lot of the time - but every week we've had at least four overnighters, and all kinds of people coming by and hanging out. Last week was a record in terms of people overnighting for this thing - seven, despite it being almost certainly the coldest night in OM history. In any case, we'll be continuing to do that every Tuesday from about 4:30pm; please join us! respose to question about relations with police & council: The council's reaction has been variable. We get absolutely no hassle at night, when they're off duty - the cops don't give a crap about us - but compliance officers come first thing every morning and make us take down our tents, dismantle our milkcrate shelves, etc. This week there were only three of them, and they were very polite. Last week we had a minor raid, with nine officers including five cops, and they tried to confiscate Scott's stuff on the basis it was "suspected stolen property". How they behave at the moment seems to depend on who's rostered at any given time. Individual Reportback - Sam: Colin, Teigan and I spent Thursday night in Toolangi with the Central Highlands Action Group, who are camped on the side of Mt St Leonard trying to prevent it from being logged by VicForests; by the State Government. Kat's been out there for weeks. The weather was pretty intense, but it was great to be up there again. It's a really rewarding and meaningful thing to be part of, and I'd really encourage everyone to go out there if they get a chance. '- VOTE TAKEN ON QUORUM: NO QUORUM.' Announcements '- Teigan': I guess I'll read the three proposals I was going to make as an announcement, so people can at least have a think about them. proposals, below. '- POINT OF PROCESS: '''Several late arrivals prompts suggestion to re-vote on quorum. '- VOTE TAKEN ON WHETHER TO RE-VOTE ON QUORUM: PASSED.' '- VOTE TAKEN ON QUORUM: CAN HAS QUORUM.' - '''POINT OF PROCESS (Sara)': I'm going to go get icecream with Kat, but I want to vote for all three proposals in absentia, if I can do that. leaves - Discussion of whether voting for known proposals in absentia should be allowed. '- VOTE TAKEN ON ABOVE POP: DEFEATED.' Working Group Proposals - No WG proposals. Individual Proposals 1. "That the Wednesday Spokescouncil be suspended indefinitely." (Teigan) - Some free discussion of this. Proposal voluntarily amended to: "That the Wednesday Spokescouncil be suspended indefinitely, but that anyone can call an OM Spokescouncil at City Square given 24 hours notice." - PASSED. 2. "That the weekly overnight occupation of City Square that has occurred every Tuesday night for the last six weeks be endorsed as an Occupy Melbourne action." (Teigan) - PASSED. 3. "That OM declares support for and solidarity with the Central Highlands Action Group, and their current encampment aimed at preventing the logging of Mt St Leonard in Toolangi." (Teigan) - PASSED Announcements (Redux) '- Teigan': "Occupy Melbourne Reflects", an open forum to discuss and reflect on the first eight months of OM, which was endorsed at GA 64, is happening on Wednesday at Gopals at 5:30pm. Pyro: Yeah, so all the quitters can get together and talk about why they quit. Teigan: Well, the thing is that a lot of people have been involved in OM in various ways - most of whom, yeah, have now drifted away from active involvement in it, very sadly. But resenting people for quitting isn't particularly constructive, and it certainly won't help bring them back. Point is: OM's been a huge thing in a lot of people's lives, and doing this is an important part of the process of taking stock of everything that's happened, and hopefully trying to figure out viable ways forward. We've been having meetings to plan it for weeks, a professional facilitator called Holly will be moderating it, and a bunch of very solid people including Nick Carson, Sean Bedlam, Helen Cox, Jase Coggins and Nicola Paris have been involved in setting it up. People have put quite a bit of effort into it and, unlike Nick's "Occupy & Beyond" thing, it is an endorsed OM event. So it'd be really great if people got behind it and came along. Sam: Do we want to have an OM info desk at Lizard's Revenge? Kat: If anyone wants to come to Toolangi, do it. I'm going back tomorrow. The weather's been hectic, but come anyway! Teigan: Tomorrow is an international day of solidarity with the Quebecois student protests - which have been massive and completely awesome. Yohan's organised a rally at State Parliament at 2pm for this. Wear a red square and bring pots and pans!